Return to the life

[karpomatic]

Last October, I picked up a 125 gallon setup with corner overflows that was originally used for a reef. It came with a 44 gallon sump, complicated T5 lights set up on separate ballasts with LED moon lights. The tank is a little scratched up but I got all this for $500. I knew I was moving in the near future so the tank is not getting set up until now. I decided to use it for discus and select plecos. I've gotten a ton of help and advice from this forum and I'd like to thank everyone who put their 2 cents in. You may have seen these photos before from my thread asking for advice. Thanks in advance for reading and commenting on this journal.

Tank setup.jpg

Refugium1.jpg

Refugium lights.jpg

Canopy Lights.jpg

Ballast.jpg

Pump.jpg

[karpomatic]

The first thing I did after moving was ditch the T5 light setup. They throw off a ton of heat, are expensive to replace, and not needed for freshwater. Also, it was very grimy and salted over from use. I opted for 2 72" DA FSPEC LED 0.50W units from Beamswork. I don't plan on growing live plants in the tank but I bought the lights meant for plants just in case I change my mind in the future. So I cut out the old setup, leaving the fans in place for ascetics.

Old setup
Canopy Lights.jpg

Removed
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New setup
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Daytime lights
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Nighttime lights
20170315_124809.jpg

[karpomatic]

Next is the sump itself. I received a lot of help on this from these very forums

When the original owner custom built it himself.
image1.JPG

When I received it
Refugium1.jpg


After scrubbing as best I could, I patched the holes that were originally used for the protein skimmer since I won't need them. I then let the silicone cure for three days. This photo shows how I filled it and used the pump to run it in a loop for about 2 hours while checking for leaks.
Sump.jpg

The sump has been placed in the cabinet. I purchased a pair of All Glass corner overflow accessory kits a few months back. I picked up all the tubing and fittings to hook it all up last night at Home Depot. I also have to install the jack pole in the basement for floor support. I'm not taking any chances with this much weight on my floor. I hope to have it running by Sunday!

[karpomatic]

Added white sand and a little decoration.

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[karpomatic]

My 500 gph pump wasn't moving the water as much as I liked so I got an upgrade. 2377 gph max should work a bit better.


New Pump.jpg

[Phillydubs]

Coming along nicely! What other decor do you plan to add if any?

[karpomatic]

Coming along nicely! What other decor do you plan to add if any?

I plan on a nice chunk of drift wood and maybe one other hiding place for some interesting plecos. I want to have at least one Royal Panaque and am open to others. Not going with live plants for the time being but, maybe later.

[karpomatic]

Re-piped a bit. I had the two drains connecting at a tee and the going into the sump but, the long run from the right side was making the short run from the left act like a vent tube. So, I removed the tee and used two elbows instead. It's still a little louder than I expected but not sure what to do about that.

On other topics, I tested my tap water and it the ph came up at a dead 7.0. I added all the startup chemicals and I'm good to go. I can't wait to see what drift wood and fish I find on Father's Day this Sunday! This has been a long time coming.

drain repipe1.jpg

drain repipe2.jpg

[Phillydubs]

You could go to home depot or ace or something and pick up some foam board, or something along those lines to insulate the cabinet and sump, it really reduces the noise. I did that for my tank as it is in the middle of the office and I didn't want it loud for all to hear as they work... it works rather well and is cheap and easy to do.

What are your stocking plans? Did you test for a anything but a ph? That doesn't mean the tank is fully cycled, I would check all params and make sure.

You plan to head out fathers day and stock up?

[karpomatic]

You could go to home depot or ace or something and pick up some foam board, or something along those lines to insulate the cabinet and sump, it really reduces the noise. I did that for my tank as it is in the middle of the office and I didn't want it loud for all to hear as they work... it works rather well and is cheap and easy to do.

What are your stocking plans? Did you test for a anything but a ph? That doesn't mean the tank is fully cycled, I would check all params and make sure.

You plan to head out fathers day and stock up?

That is a good idea. I was thinking of the egg crate foam for the sound. We used it at work to dampen the sound of the server. As far as the water, I tested everything and it's all good. I was just surprised that the ph came up dead neutral.

I'm not stocking up on Sunday, just getting a couple to get the tank going.

[Ryan925]

Re-piped a bit. I had the two drains connecting at a tee and the going into the sump but, the long run from the right side was making the short run from the left act like a vent tube. So, I removed the tee and used two elbows instead. It's still a little louder than I expected but not sure what to do about that.

On other topics, I tested my tap water and it the ph came up at a dead 7.0. I added all the startup chemicals and I'm good to go. I can't wait to see what drift wood and fish I find on Father's Day this Sunday! This has been a long time coming.

drain repipe1.jpg

drain repipe2.jpg

When you say loud is it the water in the overflows or the water dumping into the sump? Good move getting rid of the tee

[karpomatic]

When you say loud is it the water in the overflows or the water dumping into the sump? Good move getting rid of the tee

The water dumping into the sump is a little loud. I bought and installed the Aqueon overflow accessory kit to quiet the corners. All I hear is a little gurgle from them.

[Ryan925]

The water dumping into the sump is a little loud. I bought and installed the Aqueon overflow accessory kit to quiet the corners. All I hear is a little gurgle from them.

Get your drain lines just below the water level

[karpomatic]

Get your drain lines just below the water level

Oh, they already are. after the elbows in the photo, I have tubing that goes to the bottom of the sump and the water flows up through bio-balls.

[Clawhammer]

A couple of thoughts / questions on the noise...

Is your overflow sucking in air as well as water?

Another thought is it could be the 45 angles creating turbulence in the water right before it enters your sump creating noise.

You should be able to achieve complete silence with your setup.